Community leaders speak at cultural dinner

School and city officials are set to speak today at the Turkish Cultural Center’s (TCC) third annual Friendship Dinner.

The Friendship Dinner is an invitation-only reception that acts as part of the TCC’s larger effort to foster Turkish cultural heritage, and the city of Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan and Binghamton University President Lois DeFleur will be delivering formal remarks to echo the goals and vision of the group.

According to University spokeswoman Gail Glover, the president will be awarded the TCC’s Education Award. In her remarks, the president plans to focus on thanking the TCC for the distinction of the award and proclaiming her pride in BU’s leadership in international education.

In her prepared remarks, the president says she is “deeply honored to be the recipient of the Turkish Cultural Center’s (TCC) Education Award … The TCC has done so much to help make our Turkish students feel at home — and equally important, to introduce American students to the richness of Turkish culture.”

DeFleur plans to highlight BU’s partnerships with Turkish universities. According to Glover, some of the associations have been established for more than 30 years.

Glover said the president will also discuss how she values the role of international education in providing broader cultural understanding.

Ryan will be speaking at the dinner as well. According to city of Binghamton Director of Community Relations Andrew Block, Ryan is expected to laud the TCC’s role in strengthening Binghamton’s multiplicity of cultures.

The mayor will “share some words on […] Binghamton’s cultural diversity [and] how we celebrate it,” Block said.

According to their mission statement, the Turkish Cultural Center of Binghamton is “dedicated to educating and informing the public about the many dimensions of Turkey and Turkish culture and its history and to unite the Turkish-American community within the Binghamton, N.Y. area as well as strengthen relations with the surrounding population by exchanging cultural diversity.”

The dinner will be held in the University Union Old Union at 5:30 p.m., and attendance is by invitation only.